Ayn Rand has a VERY INTERESTING philosophy. I truly enjoyed reading it because she speaks of how other’s control society depriving people of a free will. We are told how to LIVE our LIVES and how to FEEL. We are not allowed to think for ourselves according to AYN RAND. I suppose it is true that we sometimes prefer not to stand out because our way of thinking does not conform with that of the rest of society. It is easier to conform and to live like others WANT US TO LIVE. There are three ways of living according to Rand that will determine how a person will survive:
A man’s method of using his consciousness determines his method of survival…the man of force, the man of feelings, the man of reason-or the brute, the mystic, the thinker. AYN RAND ADVOCATES RATIONALITY: I think therefore I am.<span> </span> The man of force will use is muscle to force his believes on people. This person (men) the most obvious opressor because he uses the military to control people. This type of person is a brute because he does not think he acts. He is the closest to an animal in that he is led by instinct not rationality.
<span> </span>The man of feeling or mystic is a bit more sneeky because he does use some reasoning to control you. I am under the impression that what she is speaking of here is the idea of RELIGION & LOVE. I belive Rand is speaking of these two ideas because RELIGION & LOVE both speak of SACRIFICE, GUILT, AND FEAR. Rand asserts, “The Word that has destroyed you is ‘sacrifice’. ” It takes some inginuity to convince people to sacrife what they desire and need for others. I agree with her that one should not sacrifice one’s person for that of other. Yes, this sounds selfish but why be dependent on others. Shouldn’t we all look for our happiness without having to suffer first? I mean it makes no sense that I should work hard for what I want and then give it to someone who had the same opportunity to work for it and made a conscious decision no to work. I don’t care to be “eternally” happy when I die. I want to feel pleasure while I live. I don’t want to think of the idea of an after life. There might not be an after life and I am certain of this life. Rand states, “Guilt and fear are the disintegrators of a man’s consciousness or a society’s culture….don’t look-don’t judge-don’t be certain.” So the mystic first convinces you that you must feel guilty of having more than others. WHY SHOULD I FEEL GUILTY OF WHAT I HAVE or WHAT I DESIRE??? I do not feel guilty of what I have. I think we all have the capacity to get what we want. I am one of those people who believe that if you don’t have something you claim to want it is because you don’t really want it. I should only feel guilty for not working hard for what I claim to want and not achieving it. However, the mystic tells me that the way to show my love and devotion to others or to god is by feeling guilty. My guilt will then make me give to others and show that I am not selfish. According to the mystic if I am selfish I will go to HELL. No body wants to go to HELL. Therefore, people conform to the idea of giving away what they worked hard for feeling guilty for FEAR OF GOING TO HELL. This hell is not the Christian Hell but that of the ostracised. No one wants to be excluded from society. We all want to feel loved consequently we give in to the ideas of the mystic. The mystic makes us not see with our eyes. Love makes you blind or we are all the same in the eyes of GOD. Yeah, don’t think don’t see. Do not judge anyone because you are not perfect. Try as you might you will never be perfect therefore you feel guilty. Do not stand for your believes and do not make them known because if they are not the same as the mystic’s you will be burned at the stake: YOU ARE A HERETIC, A WITCH ETC. Fear will keep you from thinking. You do not want to die in this world or miss out on eternal life, IF THERE IS ONE, because you dared to think. After all the desire for knowledge was what caused mankind to lose paradise once. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT A GOD WOULD GIVE ME THE ABILITY TO USE RATIONALITY BUT NOT WANT ME TO USE IT.
<span> </span>The way to happiness is through rationality is what AYN RAND says through out her book. One should not feel guilty or afraid because one has the ability to think. These ideas will lead each one of us to our happiness. Of course, provided that you are not thinking of destroying humanity by making them lose their ability to think freely. “There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other wrong, but the middle is always evil.” The only person who has the last word as to what is right and wrong is you. I have the ability to decided when something is right for me and when something is wrong. I have to be responsible for my own decisions and not be asking for other’s approval. However, this is the difficult aspect of being rational beings in our society. We all have been accustomed to acting as a community where we all have to think alike. We are not really individualistic we need the APPROVAL OF OTHERS. I for my part will try to think more and not ask the opinions of other’s. I already know the DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHTAND WRONG. I will try to stay away from the MIDDLE, THOUGH, IT WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR ME BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
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